Herbal Cold and Cough Care – Sore Throat Syrup and Cold and Flu Tea

Herbal cough and cold care ranges from off the shelf products like Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care to a mix of homemade recipes tailored to your specific symptoms. The sore throat syrup has a mild licorice taste that is quite palatable. I think even kids would take it without a fuss. The cold and flu herbal tea recipe below has more of a kick.

Place herbs in mug and cover with boiling water (leave enough room for your lemon juice). Cover and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain herbs, mix in lemon juice and sip slowly. The warmth and natural antihistamine action of the herbs is great for congestion and runny noses. You can adjust the amount of the herbs a bit to taste. I was a little generous with the cayenne in the photo above – too hot for me! *Note: I had originally listed larger portions of the herbs, but with the dried herbs, I think these amounts will probably be better for most people. You can use more to taste.

Longer steeping will give a stronger brew, but if you leave it too long it may become more bitter, so no more than 15 minutes is recommended. Covering the tea while it's brewing will help to trap “the good stuff”. 🙂

I’d love to know more about allergy (stuffy nose) remedies, pain remedies for neck and back issues and also, would love remedies for toddlers who have issues falling to sleep, some sort of calming remedies?? Thanks!

I would love to learn of something palatable for pain. I have a crampbark tincture I use regularly, but I have fibromyalgia, arthritis, corporal tunnel and migraines. When I have a bad flare up I can be down for a few days at a time.

Love love love herbal healing! I would like to learn more about allergies, so far what has worked the best is a clay water cure during my hay fever sneezing, but I wonder if anything else would help ease symptoms as well?

I have found a super simple way to help coughs, colds, and stuffy heads: mullein leaf tea. I buy it in bulk when it is available, have used commercially available tea bags, and even learned what it looks like and foraged for some of the common mullein that grows everywhere here.

Just breathing in the steam from a hot cup of mullein tea starts the sinuses clearing, and because it has expectorant properties, it will get everything flowing quickly.

Mountain Rose Herbs stocks Mullein oil, flowers, leaf and seeds, for those who would like to give this a try who don’t have the opportunity to forage. For those who have the opportunity to go wildcrafting, you can find photos to ID mullein here – https://commonsensehome.com/weekly-weeder-13-common-mullein/ (as well as more information about its properties).

Oh gracious, what herbal remedies would I NOT like to know about? 😀 I think sore muscles and arthritis helps for my hubby would be great, and like others have said, seasonal health and wellness. Anything for the flu?

All of them. I’ve been a gardener for years, but have only dipped my toes into the pool of wisdom that is herbs. I dream of a home apothecary. Getting recipes to try – one or two at a time- makes me feel less overwhelmed by the vastness of it all.

I love to learn about all the herbs you are sharing about! Wonderful! I guess if I had to pick one thing right now, maybe something that would continue to boost our immune system through the winter months. Thanks!

I would like to learn more about pain relief for teething and calming toddlers. I currently buy teething tablets but I’d feel more comfortable if I made my own remedy (and it would also be better than running to the store late at night to buy more tablets!)

I also have lupus so I would love to see something on pain relief for joints although I use Tiger balm now which does help sometimes. I would also love to see something for winter dry skin, I get itchy patches with the onset of the cold weather so a good lotion of some type would be wonderful. Really either of these items with a warming effect is awesome in the winter. I use to buy this oil and lotion combo that warmed when you used it and had the most amazing pine/foresty scent. The company went out of business and I have never found anything to replace it. That set was my after bath oil and daily moisturizer for the entire winter and I sure do miss it. Thanks for asking what we would like to see posted!

I usually make fire cider- I still need to make some this fall but you steep together apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, ginger, horseradish, garlic and onion for three weeks and then strain out the liquid, throw away the solids and use the liquid a teaspoon or two at a time mixed with honey. It gets rid of colds and flu really well, especially congestion.

My fav herb is raspberry leaves. I would def add them to this cold and flu recipe. Raspberry leaves will help with upset stomch (that can come with the flu) and I have also cured my sons strep throat by making a tea gargle with raspberry leaves and 2 drops of tea tree oil. This should be used as a gargle only! Raspberry leaf tea works wonderful on upset stomachs. 🙂 Take care and live well. Peace and Balance to all, Jodee

I would like to know more about herbal remedies for ezcema in children, colds and flu, weight loss, hair loss, seasonal allergies, sinus infections, ear infections….. I have decided to toatally get away from all bad chemicals and I am always seeking alternate ways to take care of my family. Thanks so much for this great offer!!

I was going to say allergies, but after reading through comments it looks like you’ve already got a post – I’ll have to read through, thanks! So, my next request would be anti-inflammatory ideas. I know of a few, but have MS, so really need to put some time into learning more, especially easy recipes/ideas to incorporate them more frequently. There is a limit to what you can add turmeric to, at least in my mind! 🙂

I love Rose Mountain! I have received only fantastic quality from them. It would be great to win the cough syrup ingredients as we head into the germ-iest time of the year! We are both pediatric nurses, so our family ends up exposed to all kinds of cooties! Thanks for the great blog; we love your herbal info.

I would like to learn about all of them! I am currently an herbalism student (working toward my certification slowly but surely) and my current focus is on herbs that help repair the gut, as my children suffer from celiac and I am looking for ways to help them heal. Thanks for having this giveaway!

I love learning about about how to use common herbs and spices for healing common childhood illnesses as well as herbs for tonics and building immunity. I really like Mountain Rose’s products! Thanks for the giveaway!

I use Mt. Rose Herbs too. I love how quick and easy it is to find things on their website and I’ve always been very pleased with their prices and quality. I could sure use the cough and cold collection right now. I am up late because I can’t quit coughing. Need to go for a long walk tomorrow and see if I can’t find any mullein…

Can I ask if a tulsi tea from Dr. Mercola is an organic one too? Can you confirm if it is good? Here it is http://organicindia.mercola.com/tulsi-tea.aspx because I’m thinking of trying one of this because somebody told me that it has a strong antioxidant properties too.

For foraging, you might want to check out the Weekly Weeder series – https://commonsensehome.com/wildcraftingweekly-weeder/ I normally get a new post up on Wednesdays, but sometimes it ends up on Thursday. Will be wrapping up for this season soon as we are due for hard frost, but will be back next year.

I would like to learn about immune enhancing herbs and herbs that help digestion. My 4 year old had cancer when he was 6months old so we really try to use natural remedies, he always seems to get everything that goes around so pediatric immune enhancing herbs would be me largest interest.

Perfect timing! A few friends and I are getting ready to order herbs together from Mountain Rose Herbs in order to prep for winter. This is such a generous giveaway! Whether I win or not, the Cough-be-Gone syrup and Cold & Flu Tea are going on my to-make list!

I an so new to herbal remedies I don’t know which I would like to learn more about except all. Maybe headaches, sinus infections, inflammation, seasonal allergies. Those are regular issues in my family it seems.

It seems whenever someone I love gets an illness, I go all in to find Herbal answers. Hep C is my mission now. Learned about Milk Thistle and would like to about other herbs to support the liver and kick Hep C’s butt 🙂

I would like to have more info regarding the slippery elm bark from Mountain Rose simply because whenever I’m looking for info on natural product, I will invariably find myself on Mountain Rose’s site if for no other reason than to make sure the other sites are telling the truth. I trust Mountain Rose info and use them as a guide to all things herbal. (I just wish that I could order way more than I do; but its coming…)